Living body image pickup apparatus and living body imaging system

Abstract

A living body image pickup apparatus according to the present invention includes: a plurality of image pickup units which pick up images of body tissue and output the images of the body tissue as image pickup signals; a first spectroscopic unit which passes light in a first wavelength band, spectrally analyzes an image of the body tissue picked up by a first image pickup unit and thereby allows the image of the body tissue to be displayed on a display unit as a first image; and a second spectroscopic unit which passes light in a second wavelength band, spectrally analyzes an image of the body tissue picked up by a second image pickup unit and thereby allows the image of the body tissue to be displayed on the display unit as a second image in which predetermined part of the body tissue is enhanced compared to the first image.

1 . A living body image pickup apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of image pickup units which pick up images of body tissue illuminated by a white light and output the images of the body tissue as image pickup signals;   first spectroscopic unit which, having transmission characteristics of passing light in a first wavelength band, spectrally analyzes an image of the body tissue picked up by first image pickup unit out of the plurality of image pickup units and thereby allows the image of the body tissue to be displayed on display unit as a first image; and   second spectroscopic unit which, having transmission characteristics of passing light in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band, spectrally analyzes an image of the body tissue picked up by second image pickup unit out of the plurality of image pickup units and thereby allows the image of the body tissue to be displayed on the display unit as a second image in which predetermined part of the body tissue is enhanced compared to the first image.   
     
     
         2 . The living body image pickup apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising third spectroscopic unit which, having transmission characteristics of passing light in a third wavelength band different from the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band, spectrally analyzes an image of the body tissue picked up by third image pickup unit out of the plurality of image pickup units and thereby allows the image of the body tissue to be displayed on the display unit as a third image in which predetermined part is enhanced compared to the second image. 
     
     
         3 . The living body image pickup apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined part is blood vessels. 
     
     
         4 . The living body image pickup apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined part is blood vessels. 
     
     
         5 . The living body image pickup apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the light in the first wavelength band includes a red band, a first green band, and a first blue band. 
     
     
         6 . The living body image pickup apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the light in the first wavelength band includes a red band, a first green band, and a first blue band. 
     
     
         7 . The living body image pickup apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the light in the first wavelength band includes a red band, a first green band, and a first blue band. 
     
     
         8 . The living body image pickup apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the light in the first wavelength band includes a red band, a first green band, and a first blue band. 
     
     
         9 . The living body image pickup apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the light in the second wavelength band includes a second green band narrower than the first green band and a second blue band narrower than the first blue band. 
     
     
         10 . The living body image pickup apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the light in the second wavelength band includes a second green band narrower than the first green band and a second blue band narrower than the first blue band. 
     
     
         11 . The living body image pickup apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the light in the second wavelength band includes a second green band narrower than the first green band and a second blue band narrower than the first blue band. 
     
     
         12 . The living body image pickup apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the light in the second wavelength band includes a second green band narrower than the first green band and a second blue band narrower than the first blue band. 
     
     
         13 . The living body image pickup apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the light in the third wavelength band has a plurality of peak wavelengths in the first blue band. 
     
     
         14 . A living body imaging system comprising: a light source which emits a white light as an illuminating light to illuminate an imaging subject in a living body; a living body image pickup apparatus which pick up images of the imaging subject and output the images of the imaging subject as an image pickup signal; and a controller which controls the light source and the living body image pickup apparatus,
 wherein the living body image pickup apparatus comprises a plurality of image pickup units which pick up images of the imaging subject and output the images of the imaging subject as image pickup signals, first spectroscopic unit which, having transmission characteristics of passing light in a first wavelength band, spectrally analyzes an image of the imaging subject picked up by first image pickup unit out of the plurality of image pickup units and thereby allows the image of the imaging subject to be displayed on display unit as a first image, and second spectroscopic unit which, having transmission characteristics of passing light in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band, spectrally analyzes an image of the imaging subject picked up by second image pickup unit out of the plurality of image pickup units and thereby allows the image of the imaging subject to be displayed on the display unit as a second image in which predetermined body tissue in the imaging subject is enhanced compared to the first image, and the controller comprises user control unit which outputs an imaging mode switching signal to switch between a first imaging mode for imaging of the first image and a second imaging mode for imaging of the second image, and control unit which outputs a control signal if it is detected based on the imaging mode switching signal that imaging in one of the imaging modes is specified from the user control unit, the control signal being intended to adjust exposure time of each of the plurality of image pickup units, control light quantity of the white light emitted by the light source unit, and change display state of the first image and the second image on the display unit, according to the specified imaging mode.   
     
     
         15 . The living body imaging system according to  claim 14 , wherein the predetermined part is blood vessels. 
     
     
         16 . The living body imaging system according to  claim 14 , wherein the light in the first wavelength band includes a red band, a first green band, and a first blue band. 
     
     
         17 . The living body imaging system according to  claim 15 , wherein the light in the first wavelength band includes a red band, a first green band, and a first blue band. 
     
     
         18 . The living body imaging system according to  claim 16 , wherein the light in the second wavelength band includes a second green band narrower than the first green band and a second blue band narrower than the first blue band. 
     
     
         19 . The living body imaging system according to  claim 17 , wherein the light in the second wavelength band includes a second green band narrower than the first green band and a second blue band narrower than the first blue band.